Ironing-machine.



No. 719,385. PATENTED JAN. 27 1903. E. G. SMITH.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00128, 1901. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-$113121 l.

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PATENTBD. JAN. 27, 1903.

E. G. SMITH. IRONING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 0012s, 1901.

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E. G. SMITH. IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2a, 1901.

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.lhvrrnn STATES ERNST G. SMITH, OF COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

lRONlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,385, dated January27, 1903.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,232. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST G. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Columbia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementsin Ironing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in ironing-machines, andmore particularly to certain improvements in a machine especiallyadapted for ironing collars, cuffs, and similar small and comparativelystiff pieces of laundry.

The objects of my invention are to provide a machine which shallcompletely iron a collar, &c., in one passage thereof through saidmachine, this latter being constructed so that the collar is given thesame finish on both sides.

An additional object is to provide mechanism capable of such convenientadjustment that different varieties or grades of finish may be given tothe articles operated upon, a further object being to provide meanswhereby the pressure between two or more series of heating and paddedrollers may be quickly and uniformly adjusted.

These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is afront elevation of myimproved ironing-machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations of the right andleft ends, respectively, of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; and Figs.4 and 5 are vertical sectional views on the lines 4: 4 and 5 5,respectively, of Fig. 1.

In the above drawings, A A are standards or frames forming the body ofthe machine, these being tied together and braced by lon gitudinal barsa. Supported in suitable bearings of any ordinary type in the frames Aare shafts B, O, D, and E, carrying gearing, as hereinafter described.Also supported by the frame are two other shafts F and G, which carrysolid metallic rolls f and g, having wound on them thick layers ofpadding 00. Also supported by the frame are two polished metallic rollsII and I, placed so as to bear definite relation to the padded rollers gand f, respectively, and carried in bearing-blocks located in recessesin the frame A of the machine, the hollow supporting-shafts h andt' ofsaid rollers having gas-pipes h and r" entering them and extendingthroughout their length. These pipes have nozzles 71 and 't' for theattachment of flexible tubing connected to sources of supply for air andgas and are provided with valves, as shown. The length thereof whichextends within the hollow roller is perforated in order to permit theescape of gas in jets and is constructed in the manner well known tothose skilled in the art.

The padded roller f is revolved through the medium of a train of gearingoperated from a driving-pulley b on the main shaft 13, this gearingconsisting of a pinion b on said shaft within the geancase b meshingwith a gear 0, fixed to the shaft 0. This shaft also has fixed to it thepinion c, which in turn meshes with the double gear-wheel b looselycarried on the shaft B, the second set of teeth on this lattergear-wheel meshing with the gear-wheel f, keyed to the shaft F,supporting the padded roller. The padded roller 9 is revolved in theopposite direction to that of the roller f by means of a sprocket-wheelkeyed to the shaft C, which actuates a link chain 0 passing over asecond sprocketwheel, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) fixed to theshaft D. This shaft also carries a gearwheel 01, Whichengages with thegear-wheel g on the shaft G.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the shaft 0 extends beyond the frame Aon the left-hand side of the machine and carries, splined to it, acollar 0 provided with teeth on both of its faces. This collar ismovable longitudinally upon the shaft, which also carries loosely uponit two gear-wheels c and 0 provided on the faces adjacent to the collar0 with teeth similar to those'on said collar. This collar has acircumferential groove running around it, into which project pins fromthe end of a lever J, pivoted to a piecej, bolted to the frame of themachine, and provided with a guiding-piece], as shown. Each of thehollow shafts supporting the metallic rollers H and I also projectbeyond the frame A on the lefthand side of the machine and have keyed tothem similar gear-wheels 72, and 2' respectively, which engage with oneanother. In addition the shaft t has keyed to it a relatively smallergear-wheel i this latter meshing with the relatively large pinion 0while the gear-Wheel i meshes with the relatively small pinion c Byinspection of Figs. 1 and 5 it will be seen that the shafts F and G ofthe padded rollers are provided at both ends with collars f and g,respectively, these in turn being carried by lever-castings g and At oneend these lever castings have extending through them a bolt m, encircledby a spring m, inclosed within the cylindrical casing m which isprovided with a lug m whereby it is bolted to the frame of the machine.The other ends of the lever-castin gs have attached to them rods 9 and frespectively, bolted to opposite ends of collars c, which are keyed orotherwise fixed to the shaft E.

Preferably on the outside of the frame A is supported a pawl e, placedto engage a ratchetwheel 6 fixed to the overhanging end of the shaft E.In addition this shaft end has attached to it a piece c constructed toreceive an operating-lever e, by which said shaft may be turned. Fixedto the front edges of the frame are angle-pieces n, to which is fasteneda receiving-table N, this table having its front edge beveled so as toextend partly over the heated roller H. Projecting forward from thistable is a wire guard n, extending parallel with and slightly above thesaid roller H, the same serving to guide a piece of laundry in theproper direction as it is being fed into the machine. On the insidefaces of the frames A are bolted two other angle-pieces p, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, these serving to support an intermediate table orguide-piece P, the beveled edge of which bears upon or isvery slightlyabove the surface of the heated roll H and ,just beyond its point ofcontact with the padded roller g. This guidetable is so inclined as todeliver a piece of laundry from the rolls H and g at the proper angle tothe rolls fand I. There is also a stripping-piece Q,carried on angle-brackets (1, bearing upon the surface of the second heated roll Iand serving to remove pieces of laundry which might possibly stick onthe surface of said roll.

A receptacle R is supported from the frame of the machine by means ofpieces of metal r hung on the shaft B, and there is a guidesurface 1"bearing upon or slightly above the padding on the roll g and serving todeliver articles from the rolls into the receptacle 0".

It will be seen that by my arrangement of oppositely-placed heating andpadded rolls a collar, for instance, is finished on both sides in onepassage through the machine, the heated roll H putting the finish on oneside and the heated roll I giving it to the other.

Through the medium of the gearing on the left-hand end of the machine itis possible to vary the speed of the heated rolls relatively to that ofthe padded rolls, thereby securing a glossy or dull finish to thelaundry, as de sired. This is accomplished by throwing the lever Jeither to the right or left and securing it in this position by pinningit to the guide-piecej. Thus if the lever is thrown so that the collar03 engages with the pinion 0 then the heated rolls are revolved, so asto have the same peripheral speed as that of the padded rolls, and thearticles'ironed are given a dull finish, while if the lever be thrown inthe opposite direction, so that the collar 0 engages with the pinion 0the heated rolls are revolved, so as to have a higher peripheral speedthan that of the padded rolls, thereby causing the article operated uponto receive a high polish. By means of the lever e the degree of pressureof the padded rolls upon their respective heated rolls may be varied,the amount of pressure required of course depending upon the thicknessof the articles passed through the machine. By disengaging the pawl efrom the ratchet-wheel e the shaft E may be turned by means of the lever6 such action pulling down upon the rod g and pushing upon the rod f 3and moving the rollershafts G and F, with their rollers, nearer theheated rolls I and H. The casing m with the spring-supports for thelever-pieces f and 9 is provided, so that should an unusually large orthick piece of material be passed between the rollers it may be possiblefor them to yield without any damage to the machine. As shown in Fig.2,the pawl e is double-ended, and the teeth upon the ratchet-wheel aremade in two sets, so as to be suitably engaged by either end of saidpawl, which is held on either side of its pivot by means of the weightedportion preferably cast integral with it.

The guide-piece P prevents the possibility of the piece of materialoperated upon striking the second set of rolls at an incorrect angle, asit acts to strip them from the heated roll H and delivers them in properform to the rolls I and f.

I claim as my invention 1. In an ironing-machine, the combination of aplurality of heated and padded rolls, mechanism for turning the paddedrolls and other mechanism independent of the same for turning the heatedrolls, said mechanism including gear-wheels on said roller-shaftsoperatively connected together, a driving-shaft, two gears looselycarried thereby and a clutch for connecting at will either of thesegears with the driving-shaft, said loose gears being operativelyconnected with the gears for turning the heated rolls, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination in an ironing-machine of a frame, a heated and apadded roll having supporting-shafts and carried by said frame, meansfor turning said shafts, a lever engaging each end of the shaft of oneof the rolls, a bolt attached to the frame and having upon it a spring,one end of the lever being in engagement with the spring on said bolt,with means for applying power to the other end of the lever and therebymoving the shaft and roll engaged thereby nearer to or farther from theother roll, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a frame, a heated and a padded roll carriedthereby and provided with driving mechanism, movable bearings carryingone of said rolls whereby its distance from the other r011 may bevaried, i

a lever-casting for each of said movable bearings, a bolt attached atone end to the frame and engaging said lever-casting, a spring on thebolt also in engagement with the levercasting and provided with aninclosing casing, a revolnble shaft, means connecting said shaft withthe free ends of said lever-castings and means for turning the shaft,substan- 15 tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST G. SMITH.

WVitnesses:

AUGUST 0. NoLLE, P. W. BENDER.

